Check in on the easy ones

Just because everything is good doesn't mean it couldn't be better

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that if you are managing a lot of people,
or for that matter, raising multiple kids, be sure to

(00:26):
check in with and think about the easy ones. Just
because things are going fine doesn't mean they couldn't go better.
So I have five kids, and at any given point,
one or two of them can be way more challenging
than the others. Now, it varies who the challenging kid

(00:48):
or situation might be, but any particular crisis can consume
a ton of energy. So if everything seems to be
going all right for another kid, good great aids, no
real complaints, it can be tempting to just feel grateful
I can let that chunk of parenting go on autopilot.

(01:12):
But just because someone is doing okay doesn't mean they
don't benefit from engagement with someone who is looking out
for their interests. Even if a kid is being pretty easy,
that doesn't mean he or she wouldn't like to think
about doing different activities, or that he or she has
some ideas for summer camps or would like to host

(01:34):
a more elaborate friend get together, or could even use
some new books from the library. So as I think
about my relationship priorities for each week, I think about
what is going on in each kid's life and what
might be worth discussing. Similarly, anyone who is managing a

(01:56):
crew of employees knows that some are more low maintenance
than others. Sometimes people are underperforming, which you definitely have
to manage, but sometimes people are constantly asking for new
things or suggesting new ideas, all of which can be great,

(02:17):
but also fits into the squeaky wheel getting the grease category.
You don't necessarily think as much about the employees who
quietly but competently do their jobs, so best to nudge
yourself to think about them. Is there anything else the

(02:38):
person could take on? Where do you see him or
her in a year? Where do they see themselves? Are
they happy? What would they like to spend an hour
or two more per week doing? Are there things they
would like to do less of? Now? I am not
saying this has to translate into specif weekly meeting times,

(03:02):
though I do know a lot of managers swear by these,
But either way, it is worth checking in with the
quiet ones occasionally. Certainly things can take a turn for
the worse. An employee you thought was happy might walk
out the door suddenly. It's good to know if you

(03:24):
could have stopped it. But even without that, quietly competent
folks deserve to have someone thinking about their career trajectories
and their happiness too. Just like the low maintenance kids
also deserve attention. Wise management means looking beyond the squeaky

(03:46):
wheel to make sure everything is well greased. That's how
we move beyond managing crises and toward getting more done.
In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

(04:14):
listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

(04:37):
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.